7. Jade
While perhaps one of the more physically adept characters on this list (she knows martial arts), Jade, from the absolutely brilliant Beyond Good & Evil, is still something of an unlikely hero. The reason for this is that she is simply a normal girl who doesn't use her boobs to save the planet, which seems to be the go to move for 99% of other female video game characters. The plot of the game finds her dealing with an alien invasion and government corruption, all while trying to look after the orphans in her care. In a world which has been largely dominated by girls with big guns and bigger chests, Jade was on of the first characters who was just a normal girl and most people loved her all the more for it. She goes into the same category as the similarly awesome Alyx Vance and, perhaps, the new version of Lara Croft. While her inclusion on the list definitely owes a lot to the fact that she isn't a overtly sexual, scantily clad buffoon, she is also included for being a simple photo journalist, I don't know a single photographer who could fight aliens. Not one.